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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

I decided two weeks ago at church when my boy decided to flip the crayons in the ziploc baggie all around the bench that I needed to make crayon rolls for my kids so I could #1 limit the amount of crayons they bring and #2 keep them contained. I had seen them all over the web and thought they would be a great idea. So on last Saturday I whipped these up fairly quickly. I sent the one down with my boy and DAD suggested their should be a flap to cover them so the boy wouldn't dump them out when he was holding it upside down. Good idea - but how. So I did a little research and found a blog where a lady added a flap. Of course I can't find that one but I know I saw it. But the Crayon roll tutorial at Skip to My Lou was fairly easy to adapt. I just used a 5 inch by 16 inch piece and sewed it down the side and turned it right sides out and ironed it down. I did a top stitch on three sides an then sewed the last side down to the top of my crayon roll. It seems to have stopeed the dumping and once I got one done then the girl was like - I WANT ONE. All of these were from scraps in my stash which I have been organizing. It sure made it easy to find matching colors.

Here it is with the top down (oh, that could be taken the wrong way :) I should have rolled it up and showed you the cute Cars fabric I made it out of - but alas I didn't think about it and we had really limited sunlight today.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

There is something to be said about having things in order. For the last couple of months I feel like everything in my life has been in a constant state of flux (is that a word?) The last couple of days I have been feeling an overwhelming desire to organize my fabrics. I guess it started when I saw this post that I linked to from someone's blog. It had a nice tutorial on how to make them all look uniform. It was wonderful and I pulled out my plastic tote full of half folded fabrics and mess and started folding (while I was at it I inventoried how much I had of each - I know I'm crazy.) But now I love how it looks. Of course I have them separated by color and type. It seemed to make me feel a little bit less crazy and a little bit more organized.
As you can see from the next picture, I like to have things labeled. I think it was when we moved that my brother-in-law thought it was awful funny that I had one of my totes labeled "Glue and Hot Glue Gun." What's so funny about that - I know exactly where it is and what it is.

Here they are on the shelf - I'm not sure if they will stay there because of the dust factor but I like that they are all lined up and look so pretty. The second row over (the pink, green, brown and red) are a new project I hope to get underway after I finish a couple of loose ends (otherwise know as unfinished projects.)

I've also been organizing my UnFinished Projects (UFO) and want to start the month of March off with a UFO Completion Project. DO YOU WANT TO JOIN ME?? I might post my list of UFO's (if I'm not to embarrassed) and then see how many I get done before the end of the month. It has been one of my unwritten goals for the year to complete 2 UFO's before I get to start a new project. But I'm thinking I need to up the ante and do 10??? for March. We will see what happens. . .

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

This is something I made a couple of weeks ago when I finished this tote for my husband. I figured since it was a fire resistant material I could make a handle cover to replace the one that was ruined. Here is what the one I have looks like.

So I went to work making a pattern (really hard - I traced the shape onto the fabric.) Then I cut out 4 of the green material and 2 pieces of the Insul-Bright Lining fabric. (Shown here is one side only - you need to make two sets.)

Sew the three layers together at the end - (this gives it a finished edge at the opening.)

Then iron and sew the 3 layers together with the outside of your fabric on the outside. . . does that make sense?? Here is a picture. . .

Sew a couple of stitches up the center to secure the insulation and make it look decorative.

Then repeat for the other side.

Now for the hard part. . . My machine is a good machine and can sew over many layers of fabric but this time it was waaaay too much to handle as you neared the opening and so don't look too closely at the opening because there was nothing going to let me through that fabric. I broke one needle and didn't want to break another trying. You have to sew both layers together and then turn it inside out. . . ugh. . . it took me forever to get it to turn. The fabric was so stiff and it was now too many layers to turn. But I kept going until it was finally turned. And wa-la, I had a new fabric handle cover for my pans.

It works marvelously and I love it. Of course I wouldn't choose green on my own but maybe next time his pants or old work shirts are replaced I might be able to make one out of blue or brown. They might match the decor of my house better. Mostly a utilitarian function since I have more then one pan with metal only handles and I don't want it to burn on my gas stove if it were a pretty fabric with no fire resistant properties.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

I know this post is late, but won't you be my Valentine? It has been one of those weeks. I'm happy to say that my computer is back and I feel like a new woman with the speed and the things it can do. I was getting used to waiting for everything. I hate that it had to go in, but a new motherboard and off we go.

I'm so excited Liberty is finally on board. She is so creative, you should really look at her blog. We have so much fun finding things on the web and making them perfect for us.

Here is my latest project. I have actually had it up for the last couple of days but with the computer change over and date night and a day of getting some of my endless list of sewing projects done, I haven't posted it. I found the idea at the Polka Dot Chair and other places and just had to have one. Of course as I look at it it I wonder what BEMINE means. I guess I should have put a space or a heart in between the words. Oh well there is always something. I used my Cricut machine to make both the letters and the hearts. It is the cartridge I gave myself for my birthday - Lyrical letters - with the option selected as connected. I think it turned out pretty cute.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

this is Liberty {Finally}. I have had a "scrapbooking" blog for the past couple of years and lately it seems like it's ALL crafts. I want to get back to using my scrapbook blog for just that....scrapbooking and cardmaking....so a while back Amy and I were taking about making a blog to share all of our crafting reDesigns with you. We find inspiration all over the web and make it work for our own projects. I am excited to share some of my reDesigns with you. I've added some of my recent projects so make sure you scroll down to see them all.

....so when I posted my last Valentines wall hanging....my mom fell in LOVE with it and wanted to know if I would make one for her....uhm, sure.....oh and she doesn't need it for this year....but maybe if you have time. {mostly kidding} It was as much my fault as hers, I found some other fabric that I liked as well or maybe better.....so I was happy to sell mine to her and make me a new one. It's the same idea and was even faster this time {I've practiced once}. I LOVE how it turned out. It's not that I didn't like the first one....loved it to....but, I love this Heidi Grace fabric...and the hot pink and black.

I did a few things different, this time instead of making loops and then making bows to go on the loops, I just made long strips of fabric and tied them around the bar, like ribbon.

I also added batting behind my letters and just straight stitched them on, instead of trying to zig-zag over the top of them.....following inspiration found here.

Did the same with the hearts....all straight stitching...and added some around a few of the blocks.

you probably can't tell that the V is crooked, but I can and everytime I look at it, it bothers me. Oh well. I'm going to let it go. REALLY. I am NOT going to let it bother me. {my inner voice says...repeat until you believe it!}

Monday, February 8, 2010

I love the color pink and this wall hanging I made just hits the spot. I have been afraid to decorate with pink because it is very gender specific, but for Valentines day . . . I'M THERE with the pink. I found this amazing quilt pattern at Moda Bake shop and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it . . . and so my creation began. I shrunk it down so it could be a wall hanging. I think it measures about 27 x 30. I used 12 inch x 6 inch rectangles ( I just cut the strips to 12 inches rather then 16 inches.) I found that way cute pink print at my JoAnn's store and gathered up matching pieces to make it in to this amazing quilt. I only used the LOVE part because . . .well you can figure it out . . .it wasn't big enough to put the hugs and kisses part that Natalia at Piece N Quilt in her quilt BUT it still turned out so cute. Here is a before shot so you can get the idea of how the quilt is put together. . .

About the "sorta" in my title. My computer is still in the shop and so I am working with my laptop and don't have "all" of my pics and stuff available. I feel kind of like I have a broken arm in the sense that I can't do the things I want to do right now. But I want to get back in to the swing of things and hopefully by mid week I will be able to post a couple of other projects that I have completed and get back into life. Although they say my computer won't be back until around the 18th . . grrrrrrrh!!! Oh well, C'est la vie as my mother would say . . . "such is life" (translation) . . . every time I say that my husband says " la v" cute I guess if you are being silly . . . I guess he hears it as "Say La V"

Well off to real life - you know dishes, laundry and vacuuming. . . Sometimes I wish I had a maid. . . . .

I just found out I was featured on Sew Mama Sew check it out - it's both my love blocks and my wreath. COOL.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

I wanted to add a few inches to my shower curtain to make it reach the floor {probably about 6"}....BUT then last week when I was cleaning my bathroom, I got bleach on it...DANG....and it's only 6 months old....so I had to cut it a little higher and add more fabric. It turned out super cute.

I ended up adding 20" to the bottom, and then with the hem and sewing it to the shower curtain, it's about 18" finished size. I had to piece it together because I need it 72" wide and you can't buy anything that big in what I wanted....so I made 3 pieces, the middle piece is 22" and then each side piece is equal to made the width of the shower curtain and include the hem on the edge. It was super easy to make. I added some buttons and hung it up. Fixed. And crossed of the never ending list.

{sorry it's soooo wrinkly in the picture, I was too lazy to iron it again}

I have lots of different sizes, shapes, kinds and colors. I use them for all different kinds of things...I have a church bag, a cub scout bag, a scripture bag, etc....and I love them all....but most especially I like pockets. I like everything to have it's own pocket. I like everything in it's place. {it's just how I like it}

I got a new bag for my birthday, that I really liked. It's cute and trendy. It's made of fabric and it's washable. I really LIKE it...but it was a little too small....and the pockets are too big and fall open and it's just not quite perfect....so I've been thinking since before Christmas that I wanted to make me a new bag. I wanted to make sure it's exactly what I wanted and that all my pockets would work....

Today was sewing day at Amy's house, so I decided to work on my new bag. Luckily she made several scripture bags for Christmas presents and had worked out all the bugs....so it was pretty easy.

I LOVE how it turned out. It's PERFECT....it's red {seriously, what else do I need} and it has perfect pockets {mostly because I measured everything and made them so they would fit exactly what I wanted to go in them}. YES...I know I'm crazy.

Seriously, could it be any cuter? I LOVE sewing...it's so much fun. Too bad I have to get back to my real job now. Thanks Amy for teaching me and for "playing" with me.

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About Us

My Name is Amy Anderson and I love to craft. I love to see other people's ideas and make them my own. I have three adorable kids that make it fun for me to crafts since they love to make messes too. This blog is to show you things that I make that I have usually found on the internet or from friends and tweaked it a bit to make it my own. Hope you enjoy the fun. Email me if you have questions at amy.kirstensmom (at) gmail (dot) com

My name is Liberty Cameron and I love to craft {mostly with Amy}. I have a ten year old boy who doesn't really want me to "craft" anything for him so I make lots of gifts. Amy and I work together to redesign all the fun ideas we find online to make them our own. I scrapbook full time for my "real" job and love being able to be creative. Email me questions at lbrtychic (at) gmail (dot) com and check out my scrapbooking blog too. {Liberty's Layouts button below}